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Yesterday, punter Ryan Anderson became the first Rutgers football player to earn First Team All-Big Ten honors since the program joined the conference four seasons ago. In addition, Kiy Hester, Sebastian Joseph, Trevor Morris, and Damon Hayes earned honorable mention honors. You can read on Anderson’s historic accomplishment, as well as about the other players honored here.
On Wednesday, the conference announced honors for offensive players and Rutgers had three student-athletes receive Honorable Mention status. They include offensive lineman Tariq Cole and Dorian Miller, as well as running back Gus Edwards. Cole and Miller were honored by both the coaches and media, while Edwards was recognized by just the coaches. From the Rutgers press release:
Rutgers Football Big Ten Honors
First Team (Coaches & Media): P Ryan Anderson
Honorable Mention Coaches: OL Tariq Cole, RB Gus Edwards, DB Kiy Hester, DL Sebastian Joseph, OL Dorian Miller
Honorable Mention Media: OL Tariq Cole, DB Damon Hayes, DB Kiy Hester, OL Dorian Miller, LB Trevor Morris
Sportsmanship Award: DL Sebastian Joseph
Cole (left tackle) and Miller (left guard) were both 12-game starters along the offensive line this season. They were part of a unit that had the second-fewest sacks permitted (18) in the Big Ten and rushed for 200 or more yards on three occasions. That included 274 yards on the ground and five rushing touchdowns in the victory at Illinois. It is the second-straight year Cole earns an honorable mention.
Edwards joined Rutgers as a graduate transfer and led the team with 713 rushing yards, 816 all-purpose yards and seven total touchdowns as the starting running back in 2017. He recorded a season-high 109 rushing yards versus Maryland, adding a go-ahead 23-yard receiving score to help the Scarlet Knights secure the win. In addition, Edwards broke free for a 74-yard touchdown in the Purdue triumph, the longest rush ever by a Rutgers player against Big Ten competition.
With three offensive players named, plus the four defensive players and Anderson, Rutgers set a program record with eight different players receiving Big Ten honors in the same season. This came in a season when Rutgers doubled its win total and equaled the most conference wins since joining the Big Ten in 2014. While more progress is needed for Rutgers under second year head coach Chris Ash, this is another sign that the program is moving in the right direction.